Columbia River

A momentous day - we say farewell to the Pacific Ocean and turn eastward. We'll miss having it out there on our left, where it's been for the past 5 weeks as we drove northward from Los Angeles to Astoria.

For pictures and comments of all the campgrounds we visited, click on "Campground Reviews" in Top Menu or on the links in the journal.

After leaving Fort Stevens State Park, we paid a visit to the re-created Fort Clatsop, where the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1805-06.

Although the exact site of the original fort cannot be pinpointed, it is believed to have been within a few yards of today's replica.

The interior of the fort contained two rows of quarters for Lewis and Clark, the other men of the expedition and Sacagawea and her husband and son.

Quarters for the men were quite spartan. The Corps of Discovery was here for 106 days, and it rained on all but 12 of those days. The captains spent the winter working on their journals, while the men were charged with hunting and fishing for food.

A replica of a dugout canoe used by the Corps.

Moving on eastward, as we prepared to cross the Columbia into Washington, we had this view of Mt St Helens.

Further south the highway took us back over the Columbia into Portland. From the bridge we had this view of Mt Hood.

Heading east from Portland we passed this young couple, with dog, trudging along. As we passed the gal held up her thumb.

Our first stop in the Gorge was at Wahkeena Falls.

Just a few hundred yards to the east, on the Historic Columbia River Highway, is Multnomah Falls.

An interesting story attached to this spot is that in 1995 a huge rock the size of a schoolbus fell from near the top of the falls, landing in the pool below. The horrendous splash doused a wedding party on the bridge, posing for their wedding photos.

Continuing eastward, one next comes to Horsetail Falls.

After spending a pleasant weekend at Ainsworth State Park, it was time get back on the road. A few miles up the river we came to Bonneville Dam.

One of the displays at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery is a large pond with an underwater viewing window that lets visitors check out this 450-pound sturgeon.

A typical scene along the gorge.

And another.

At Memaloose Overlook, we had this view of the river. The island in the river was once much larger, before being nearly flooded by the rising waters behind Bonneville Dam. It was an Indian burial site. The graves were relocated before being covered by the rising water.

Mt Hood is visible in the distance beyond these lupine.

Railroad tracks line both sides of the river; the Union Pacific on the Oregon side, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe on the Washington side.

Mt Hood, at 11,239' dominates the countryside in this part of Oregon.

Time to move on to Washington - please join us.